FOUR people, including a soldier, were killed in an encounter between government troops and suspected communist rebels on Thursday afternoon, August 8, 2019 in Negros Occidental.

Two other soldiers and several suspected rebels were wounded.

A report from the military on Friday, August 9, said soldiers from the Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion were conducting combat operations in Barangay Buenavista in Himamaylan City when they spotted at least 20 armed men suspected to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA).

Firefight ensued at around 2 p.m. Thursday and lasted for about 30 minutes.

Three suspected NPA fighters and Private First Class Joel Fariñas were killed. Fariñas was fatally wounded in the chest and leg.

The two other soldiers who were wounded were identified as Sergeant Froilan Tosalem and Corporal Oliver Porten.

Various firearms and explosives including 500 assorted empty ammunition, shells from 40mm grenade launcher, 7.62mm for AK47, M14 rifles, M6O machine gun, one upper part of M16 rifle, one Alloy Magazine spring of M16 rifle and a 30-meter long electrical wire for anti-personnel improvised explosive device were recovered from the scene.

The military has activated hot pursuit operations against the rebels. (SunStar Philippines)